Kaiser Permanente pledges $2.75M to study childhood trauma effects

Kaiser Permanente has pledged $2.75 million for research to prevent childhood traumatic events, the healthcare giant announced.

The Oakland, Calif.-based company said Oct. 9 that the research will be led by its scientists and focus on preventing and mitigating health effects of traumatic events that occur before age 18. Such events include abuse, neglect, household dysfunction, systemic racism and living in a high-crime neighborhood.

"We believe every child deserves a healthy start to their physical and mental health," Kaiser Chairman and CEO Bernard J. Tyson said in a news release. "Our landmark research on ACEs [adverse childhood experiences] brought new understanding to the long-term impacts of childhood trauma, and we are now expanding our work with the bold ambition to prevent and minimize ACEs — and create healthier and more resilient generations in the future."

Kaiser said research it conducted with the CDC, released in 1998, showed a connection between trauma and health, and the new research aims to provide insights for clinical and community-based interventions to help address that trauma.